網頁圖片
PDF
ePub 版

To you for gold to pay my legions,

Which you deny'd me: was that done like Cassius?
Should I have answer'd Caius Cassius so?

When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous,
To lock such rascal counters from his friends,
Be ready, gods, with all your thunderbolts!
Dash him to pieces..

CAS. I deny'd you not.

BRU. You did.

CAS. I did not- he was but a fool

That brought my answer back.

heart.

Brutus hath riv'd my

A friend should bear a friend's infirmities,
But Brutus makes mine greater than they are,
I do not. Still you practise them on me.
You love me not.

BRU.

CAS.

[blocks in formation]

CAS. A friendly eye could never see such faults. BRU. A flatt'rer's would not, though they do appear As huge as high Olympus.

Cas. Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come! • Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius,

For Cassius is a-weary of the world;

Hated by one he loves; brav'd by his brother;
Check'd by a bondman; all his faults observ'd,
Set in a note-book, learn'd, and conn'd by rote,
To cast into my teeth. O, I could weep
My spirit from mine eyes!- -There is my dagger,
And here my naked breast-within, a heart
Dearer than Plutus' mine, richer than gold!
If that thou need'st a Roman's, take it forth.
I, that deny'd thee gold, will give my heart:
Strike as thou didst at Cæsar; for I know,

When thou didst hate him, worst, thou lov'dst him better

Than ever thou lov'dst Cassius.

BRU. Sheathe your dagger;

Be angry when you will, it shall have scope;
Do what you will, dishonour shall be humour,
Cassius! you are yoked with a lamb,
That carries anger, as the flint bears fire,

Which, much enforced, shows a hasty spark,
And straight is cold again.

CAS. Hath Cassius liv'd

To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus,

When grief, and blood ill-temper'd, vexeth him?
BRU. When I spoke that, I was ill-temper'd too.
CAS. Do you confess so much? Give me your hand.
BRU. And my heart too.

CAS. O Brutus!

[blocks in formation]

Cás. Have you not love enough to bear with me, When that rash humour which my mother gave me Makes me forgetful?

BRU. Yes, Cassius, and from henceforth,

When you are over-earnest with your Brutus,
He'll think your mother chides, and leave you so.

SHAKSPEARE,

CHAPTER XXVII.

OTHELLO AND IAGO.

IAGO. My noble Lord

OTH. What dost thou say, Iago?

IAGO. Did Michael Cassio, when you woo'd

Know of your love?

my Lady,

OTH. He did, from first to last: why dost thou ask? IAGO. But for a satisfaction of my thought,

No farther harm.

OTH. Why of thy thought, Iago?

Отн.

IAGO. I did not think he'd been acquainted with it.
Отн. O yes, and went between us very oft.

IAGO.

Indeed!

Orn. Indeed! aye, indeed. Discern'st thou aught in

that?

Is he not honest?

IAGO. Honest, my Lord?

Отн.

Honest! aye, honest.

IAGO. My Lord, for aught I know,

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors]

IAGO. Think, my Lord!

Orn. Think! my Lord! Why, by Heav'n, thou echo'st me,

As if there were some monster in thy thought

Too hideous to be shown. Thou dost mean something:
I heard thee say but now, "thou lik'dst not that,"
When Cassio left my wife. What didst not like?
And when I told thee, he was of my counsel,

In

my whole course of wooing, thou criedst, "Indeed!" And didst contract and purse thy brow together, As if thou then hadst shut up in thy brain Some horrible conceit. If thou dost love me, Show me thy thought.

IAGO. My Lord, you know I love you.

ОTH. I think thou dost :

And, for I know, thou art full of love and honesty,
And weigh'st thy words before thou giv'st them breath,
Therefore these stops of thine fright me the more:
For such things in a false disloyal knave

Are tricks of custom; but in a man that's just,
They're cold dilations working from the heart,
That passion cannot rule.

IAGO. For Michael Cassio,

I dare be sworn, I think, that he is honest.
OTH. I think so too.

IAGO. Men should be what they seem;

Or, those that be not, would they might seem knaves
OTH. Certain men should be what they seem.
IAGO. Why, then I think Cassio's an honest man.
Отн. Nay, yet there's more in this;

I pray thee speak to me as to thy thinkings;

As thou dost ruminate; and give thy worst of thoughts The worst of words.

IAGO. Good, my Lord, pardon me ;

Though I am bound to ev'ry act of duty,

I am not bound to that all slaves are free to.

Utter my thoughts!-Why, say, they're vile and false; As where's that palace, whereinto foul things Sometimes intrude not? Who has a breast so pure But some uncleanly apprehensions

Keep leets and law-days, and in sessions sit
With meditation lawful?

OTH. Thou dost conspire against thy friend, Iago,
If thou but think'st him wrong'd, and mak'st his ear
A stranger to thy thoughts.

IAGO. I do beseech you,

Think I, perchance, am vicious in my guess,
(As, I confess, it is my nature's plague
To spy into abuse; and oft my jealousy
Shapes faults that are not,) I entreat you then,
From one that so imperfectly conjects,
Your wisdom would not build yourself a trouble
Out of my scatter'd and unsure observance:
It were not for your quiet, nor your good,
Nor for my manhood, honesty, and wisdom,
To let you know my thoughts.

OTH, What dost thou mean?

IAGO. Good name in man or woman, dear my Lord, Is the immediate jewel of their souls.

Who steals my purse, steals trash; 'tis something, nothing; 'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands: But he that filches from me my good name,

Robs me of that which not enriches him,

And makes me poor indeed.

Oтн. I'll know thy thoughts.

IAGO. You cannot, if my heart were in your hand; not, whilst 'tis in my custody.

Nor shall

Отн.

Ha!

IAGO. Oh, beware, my Lord, of jealousy!

It is a green-ey'd monster, which doth mock

The meat it feeds on. That cuckold lives in bliss,
Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger;.
But oh, what damned minutes tells he o'er

Who doats, yet doubts; suspects, yet strongly loves!*
OTн. O misery!

IAGO. Poor and content is rich, and rich enough :..
But riches endless, is as poor as winter

To him that ever.fears he shall be poor.

Good Heav'n the souls of all my tribe defend
From jealousy!

Отн. Why, why is this?

Think'st thou I'd make a life of jealousy?

To follow still the changes of the moon

With fresh suspicions?-Tis. not to make me jealous
To say, my wife is fair, feeds well, loves company,
Is free of speech, sings, plays, and dances well :
Where virtue is, these make more virtuous.
Nor from mine own weak merits will I draw
The smallest fear, or doubt of her revolt,

For she had eyes, and chose me. No, Iago,
I'll see, before I doubt; when I doubt, prove;
And, on the proof, there is no more but this,
-Away at once with love or jealousy.

LAGO. I'm glad of this; for now I shall have reason
To show the love and duty that I bear you
With franker spirit. Therefore, as I'm bound,
Receive it from me. I speak not yet of proof.
Look to your wife; observe her well with Cassio;
Wear your eye thus; not jealous, nor secure!
I would not have your free and noble nature
Out of self-bounty be abus'd; look to't.

I know our country disposition well;
In Venice they do let Heav'n see their pranks
They dare not show their husbands.

OTH. Dost thou say so?

IAGO, She did deceive her father, marrying you; And when she seem'd to shake, and fear your looks, She lov'd them most.

ОTH. And so she did.

IAGO. Go to then;

She that, so young, could give out such a seeming
To seal her father's eyes up, close as oak-

He thought 'twas witchcraft-But I'm much to blame :
I humbly do beseech you of your pardon,

For too much loving you.

OTH. I am bound to you for ever.

LAGO. I see this hath a little dash'd your spirits.
OTH. Not a jot; not a jot.

IAGO. Trust me, I fear it has:

I hope you will consider what is spoke

Comes from my love. But I do see you're mor'd
I am to pray you, not to strain my speech

« 上一頁繼續 »